In the beginning means in eternity past. As the introduction to this Gospel, this chapter begins in eternity past with God, who had divinity but not humanity (v. 1); it then passes through His creation of all things (v. 3), His incarnation (v. 14), His becoming the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (v. 29), and His being the Spirit who causes the believers to be transformed into living stones for His building (vv. 32, 42), and continues all the way to eternity future, in which the Son of Man, who has both divinity and humanity, is the center for the communication between heaven and earth and for the union of God and man in eternity.

In the beginning, that is, from eternity past, the Word was with God. Contrary to what is supposed by some, it is not that Christ was not with God and was not God from eternity past, and that at a certain time Christ became God and was with God. Christ’s deity is eternal and absolute. From eternity past to eternity future, He is with God and He is God. This is why this Gospel, unlike Matthew (ch. 1) and Luke (ch. 3), has no genealogy of Christ (Heb. 7:3).

Many times it seems that the pressure is too great and that there is no way of escape. It seems that anxiety and grief is your sole obligation. But when you tell God what you want, in prayer and petition, on the one hand, and with thanksgiving, on the other, you will feel as if you do not even know how to be anxious anymore. You will be surprised, and others will marvel at your peace. This is the peace which passes all understanding.